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May 12, 1959 1C, B, LEAvCH R. 24,650

CAMSHAFT GALLERY STRUCTURE FOR ENGINES INVENTOR BYQQM May 12, 1959 c. B. LEAcH Re. 24,650

CAMSHAFT GALLERY STRUCTURE FOR ENGINES Original Filed June 30. 1954 `2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR E* @QM ATTORNEY Re. 24,656 Y Reissued May 12, 1959 CAMSI-IAF'I` GALLERY STRUCTURE FOR ENGINES Clayton B. Leach, P ontiac, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of` Delaware Original No. 2,849,993, dated September 2, 1958, Serial No. 440,346, June 30, 1954. Application for reissue,

December 15,1958, Serial No. 780,652

Claims. (Cl. 12S-41.86)

Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in the original patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

This invention relates to engines and has particular relation to V type engines having camshaft gallery means` between the obliquely disposed cylinder blocks employed in the engine.

In the engines as heretofore constructed the 'camshaft gallery, particularly in V type engines, has been a considerable source of expense. required for casting the camshaft gallery in the block of the engine and the cover for closing the camshaft gallery and the bafliing means employed have required considerable labor in assembling and disassembling an engine inv production and service. Also, the camshaft gallery coverv has`had` little purpose other than to serve as a closure member through which the valve operating mechanism employed in the camshaft gallery may be made available forA assembly and service. t y

. It is now proposed to form an engine block in which at least the upper and larger part of the camshaft gallery can be cast by the use of green sand and without resort tothe use of expensive cores. It is also proposed to construct the block in such manner as to save material in the end walls of the block but in which the end walls will provide suicient reinforcement between the ends of the banks ofcylinders formed in the block. 'Itis-also proposed to `provide an inexpensive camshaft gallery cover that may be easily manufactured from sheet metal stampingsA and which may be installed in a position to close the open upper part of the camshaft gallery by employing a pair r of bolts extending through the cover between the sides and ends of the cover and into the engine frame. It is also proposed to so yconstruct the camshaft gallery cover that it can be used as a settling chamber for separatingand returning to the crankcase of the engine the particles of oil that may be suspended in the vaporous substances that are exhausted from the engine through the interiorventilation system for the engine. It is also proposed to employ the cover in such a way 'as to cooperatewith a baffle forming another part of the interior ventilation system for the engine. The cover and an end Wall ofthe camshaft gallery of the engine are also' formed in such `a manner that the distributor for the engine can be installed in the engine without passing through the camshaft gallery or the cover therefor. The curvature of the cover and the end walls of the engine also lowers the height of the middle of the engine to provide for the extension of the intake manifold between the engine heads at a lower level.V

Extensive cores have been.

, 2 tion to better illustrate the interior construction .of the engine.

Figure 1A is a fragmentary cross sectional View of a part of the structure shownby 'Figure 1 and relates particularly to the means for returning to the crankcase liquid f that -is collected in thecamshaft gallery cover.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional View of the engine disclosed by Figure l as the engine might ap pear in the plane of line 2-2 on Figure 3.

yFigure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the engine showing the camshaft gallery cover and control `baille employed in the engine disclosed by Figures 1 and 2. Parts of the structure of the cover are broken away to better illustratey the edges of the control bale which forms a part of the y interior ventilation Vsystem for the engine.

The engine 10 employed in illustrating the invention, is

a V type engine having an engine frame 11 composedy principally of an engine block 12, a pair of engine heads 13 vand 14 and an inlet manifold 16 extending between the heads. The block 12 is formed to provide obliquely disposed rows of cylinders 17 and 18 in which vpistons 19 are adapted to reciprocate. The pistons` 19 `are connected to the crankshaft 21 of the engine byconnecting rods 22. The rows of cylinders 17 and 18 are formed,

in the block 12 in cylinder banks 23 and 24 respectively,

camshaft 32 is driven from the crankshaft 21 ofthe'engine through the usual timing gears located Within the gear cover 37. The crankcase` 39 of the engine is formed in the block 12 at the inner end of the cylinders 17 and 18 and is closed at the lower extremity thereof by an oil pan 41. A camshaft gallery 42 is formedbetween the inner walls 27 of the cylinder banks 23 and 24 and at the lower ends of the inner walls 27 and around the camshaftl 3,2. In the present-instance the heads 13 and 14 extend inwardly an appreciable distance beyond the upper ends4 of` the inner walls 27 and in such manner that the lower walls 43 of the heads also form parts of the open cavity forming the camshaft gallery 42. The camshaft gallery also is bounded at the ends thereof by the upper ends of the end walls 36 of the block 12. The upper edges of the end walls 36 are curved inwardly to provide arcuate ledges that terminate at the ends thereof in tangential relationy walls 44 of the to the outer surfaces of the inner side heads 13 and 14.

The upper open end of the camshaft gallery 42 may be closed by a cover or plate 46, the edgesv of which are adapted to be compressed against a gasket 47 engaging the upper arcuate edges of the end walls 36 and the lower edges of the side walls 44 of the engine heads. The cover 46 is arcuate transversely of the cover and rectilinear longitudinally of the cover and has a curvature that is somewhat less than the curvature of the upper edges ofthe end walls 36. The edges of the end walls 36 beyond the curved or arcuate middle parts thereof are adapted to be engaged by the ends of the lower walls 43 of the heads 13 and 14 where the lower walls 43 project beyond'the inner walls 27 of the block 12. l 'u 1 The cover 46 may be constructed in any suitable manner as by the formation of a truss structure consisting of' inner and outer sheet metal plates 48 and 4K9. The inner plate `48 may be constructed to forma closure-meurtrier,` for closing a depression formed outwardly invthe Outer 3 member 49.' The plate' 48 may be made to terminate inwardly ofthe edges of the plate 49 so that the edges of the plate 48 will remain inside the gasket 47 on which the outeredges of the plate 49 are adapted to be compressed. The' edgesV of theplate 48 may be spot welded or otherwise secured to the plate 49 outwardly of the depressiony therein. Projections 52 may also be formed in the plate 48]"o`n opposite sides of the middle of thecover-46 and to any' desirediextent throughout the lengthofthe cover 46 for spacing the plates'from one another between the edges thereof.` The'co'ver 46 may be resiliently secured upon the gasket 47l enga/gingthe heads 13 and 14 and the end walls 36 by employing any desired number of boltsfor othersecuringmeans extending along the middle of the cover 46and'between the ends of the edges thereof. In the'presentvinstance it has been found satisfactory to employtwoof suchlv bolts these being indicated by the numeral 53. The bolts 53 are adapted to extend through openings formed in the plates 48 and 49 at the centers of inwardlyformed projections 54 which extend across the spa'cegtherebetween in such manner that the plates meet one another-around the bolt receiving openings. projections 54 vmay be spot welded to one another if this is'desired. l

f The bolts 53 are adapted to= extend through the openings iin the projections 54 and into threaded openings in the upperedges of the outer two of the three transverse walls 34 which extend across the block o f the engine between the banks of cylinders 23 and 24. It will be apparent that as the bolts 53 are tightened upon the midf dlei'o'f thev cover 46 the curvature of the cover will be increased until the edges of the cover engagel the gasket iT-throughout the entire extent of the gaskety 47. By properly 4relating the normal curvature of the cover 46 to the curvature of the edges of the end walls 36 it will bei'apparent that the edges of the cover may be made to"e'ng'ag'e the gasket 47 with substantially equal force throughout the entire extent of the gasket 47.

HIt iis proposed to employ the interior of the cover 46 a'sha separating chamber 51' for separating particles of oil that-may be suspended in the air and other vaporous substances within the interior of the engine. In such event vthe cover 46 may be employed as part of the interior ventilation system of the engine which -in the prese'ntinstance employs intake devices 55 for admitting air to 'rocker arm covers S6 which are rsupported on the upper walls .of the heads 13 and 14. The air so admitted ows' through the rocker arm covers 56 to the opposite ends `of the heads, then downwardly through openings extending through the heads and communicating with the' opposite ends of the camshaft gallery 42.

In order to insure a proper flow of air within the carnshaft'A gallery and the crankcase of the engine it is proposed'. to providea battle 57 across the upper ends of the youter two of the three transverse walls 34 which extend across the block 12 and upwardly into' the lower part of the camshaft gallery 42. The bale 57 may slopetoward the central part of the bale to provide a relatively rig'id structure which will press downwardly at the opposite ends and edges thereof upon the upper ends of-,the two transverse walls 34 which are engaged by the bolts 53. The bolts 53 may project through openings in the ends of the baille 57 so as to properly locate the baflle 57 upon thetwo walls 34. The opposite sides of the battle 57 are adapted to be provided with notches 58 tok provideopening's at the outer ends of the valve lifters 29 and through which the push rods 59 for operating the rocker arms may project. The baille 57 may be bent laterally-adjacent the opposite sides thereof so that the bale will rest upon the outer ends of the bosses 28 aroundjthe recesses 57 and will extend between the bosses and into engagement with the inner walls' 27 of the block 13. fllie'extreme edges of the baille 57 may be curved as iinldicated at`s61 sol as to engage the walls 27 substantially in tangential relation to the curved edges 61.

The`

. '4` It will be apparent that when the central part of the baille57 is pressed downwardly the outer edges thereofH will relatively tightly engage the upper edges of the two outer walls 34 and the upper ends of the bosses 28 and the sides of the Walls 27.

The chamber 51 within the cover 46 may be made to communicate with the compartment 62 between the two outer transverse walls 34 by providing aligned openings in the plate 48 and in the baffle 57. The plate 48 may be anged around the opening therein as is indicated at 63 for receiving the outwardly projecting central portion 64 of the baiile 57 surrounding the opening in the baille 57. A gasket 65 made of any resilient oil resistant material may be employed between the flange 63 and the part of the plate or baile 57 around the projection 64 for sealing the two members and for preventing noise which might result from the engagement of the two members. The battle 57 is so shaped that when the cover 46 isi compressed on the gasket 47 the battle 57 will be se-V curely and resiliently held against the upper-ends of the" outer walls 34 and the bosses 28 and the side walls 27.

The chamber 51 may be exhausted by providing an openin'g'at one endther'eof vwithin a flange 66 in the plater 49. A draft tube 67 may be'projected within the-ange'f 66 and secured thereto by tightening an annular coupling- 68`ab`o'1'1t Vthe'tube andthe flange.v

It will be apparent that the air supplied' by the intakei devices 55 will flow downwardly inthe end compartments: 69 between the outer Walls'34 and the end walls 36, will How-toward the' centralv part of the crankcase ofthe; engine below the lower extremities of thel two outer' walls' 341- and upwardly within the compartments 62. Fr'm'thef compartments 62 thevvaporous substances in cludin'gtheair supplied by the intake devices 54 will flow" outwardly through the bale 57 and into the' chamber 51- withinthe cover'46'. Withinthe chamber 51` the vaporous substances will spread outwardly from the centralV opening in the plate 48 where the velocity of the vaporous substances will decrease and any particles of oil thatf maybe suspended therein will collect upon the surfaces'4 of the plates 48 and 49. Gravity will cause the oil on the plates 48 and 49 to ow downwardly along the curvedsurfaces of the Walls and toy leak outwardly from between the plates 48 and 49 and into the crankcase of theengine, between the spot welded surfaces adjacent the opposite ends of the plates 48 and 49. After spreading'l outwardly within thechamber 51V the vaporouslsubstanceswill be exhausted from the engine throughthe draft tube 67; i

-It will be n'oted that the end wall 36 at the rear endl of the engine 10 is inwardly curved to conform to theshape yof the curved end 71 of the cover 46. Such curvature of the end wall 36 and the end 71 of the cover 46i provides a ledge 72 at the rear of the'engine frame and*v outwardly beyond the end wall 36 where a boss 73 projects'upwardly from the' ledge. The boss 73 is adapted to be engaged by a flange 74 on the lower end of the casingfor the engine distributor and through which the distributor shaftprojects into the block of the enginev where it is gear driven from the rear end of the camshafty 32. It will be apparent that the curved rear wall 36 and the curved end 71 of the cover 46 provide roomA for supporting the distributor casing upon the boss 731 and without vextending through the camshaft gallery cover and into'the camshaft gallery of the engine between the'y end walls 36. The fact that the curved end 71 of the cover 46 permits the distributor to be installed without passing-through thecover or the camshaft gallery of the engine also makes possible a reduction in the over-all. length-ofthe distributor. A par't of they distributor above thebossq73 lmay befof normallength but the part within theengine may be much shorter. This provides acloser coupled and more rigid structure and at the same time reduces the cost of the'distributor. I

'Ihe structure shown by Figure 1A is amodited form f cover which a depression 156 s formedin the inner wall or plate 48 to provide a sump for'collecting oil'that may settle within the chamber 51 of thecover. The

oil so collected may return to the camshaft gallery therein and heads for said cylinders, inner walls formed in said frame between said rows of cylinders and on opposite sides of the camshaft gallery for said engine, said heads being formed toprovide lower walls engaging the ends of said cylinders and the outer extremities of said inner walls, said frame also being formed to provide end walls for said camshaft gallery and extending between said inner walls, and an arcuate cover for said camshaft gallery, said cover being formed at the ends thereof to engage the inwardly curved upper edges of said end walls and being curved transversely throughout the length thereof to'extend between the inner side walls of said head with said inner side walls being substantially tangent to said cover along the opposite edges thereof, said `opposite edges of said cover being adapted to overlap and to 'tightly engage the outer surfaces of said side walls along the inner extremities thereof.

2. An internal combustion engine as defined by claim 1 and in which said lower walls of said head extend inwardly beyond said inner walls and engage the ends of said curved upper edges of said end walls at the opposite extremities thereof.

3. An internal combustion engine comprising an engine frame having a pair of obliquely disposed rows of cylinders formed therein and heads for said cylinders, said frame being formed to provide an open camshaft gallery between said rows of cylinders and having end walls at the opposite ends of said camshaft gallery and extending between said rows of cylinders, said heads being formed to provide obliquely disposed inner side walls disposed in parallel relation throughout the length of said frame, and an arcuate cover extending between said inner walls of said head and engaging the inner curved edges of said end walls, and fastening means between the ends and sides of said cover for clamping said cover in engagement with said inner side walls of said heads and said ends of said frame.

4. An internal combustion engine comprising an engine frame having obliquely disposed rows of cylinders formed therein and heads for said cylinders, said frame being formed to provide end walls extending between said rows of cylinders at the opposite ends of said frame, and a camshaft gallery cover supporting ledge formed on said frame, said ledge being formed along the parallel lower edges of the inner side wall surfaces of said heads and extending across said end walls along arcuate edges of said end walls forming substantially circular arcs which are substantially tangent to said lower edges of said inner side wall surfaces of said heads.

5. An internal combustion engine comprising an engine frame having parallel rows of obliquely disposed cylinders formed therein and heads for said cylinders, a camshaft gallery formed in said frame between said rows of cylinders and said engine heads, and a cover for said camshaft gallery, said cover being curved transversely of said engine and having the opposite edges thereof abutting the inner side walls of said heads and the opposite ends thereof engaging the upper curved edges of the end walls of said'frame which extend between said rows of cylinders and said heads at the ends of said camshaft gallery.

6. An internal combustion engine comprising an engine frame having a pair of obliquely disposed 'rows'of cylinders formed therein and heads for 'said cylinders, a cani-v shaft gallery formed between said rows of cylinders and between the ends of said frame,.avsheet metal cover Vfor said camshaft gallery and adapted to engage said frame around the edges of said cover, a closure vmember within said cover and spaced from said cover to provide a settling chamber within said cover, means connecting said settling chamber to the 'interior of said engine, and m'eans connecting said settling chamber tothe atmosphere.

7. An internal combustion engine comprising an 'engine frame having a pair of obliquely disposed rows of cylinders formed therein and headsfor said cylinders,v a pair of transverse walls formed in lsaid frame and dividing the interior of said engine into a central compartment and two end compartments, a hollow camshaft gallery cover' 'for said engine for closing the camshaft gallery of saidengine, means connecting thehollow interior of 'said'camshaft gallery cover vto said vcentral` compartment,"y and means for exhausting said cover 1 interior A.to the atmosphere.

8. A camshaft gallery cover forV `an engine having ob-l liquely disposed rows of cylinders' formed therein and` a camshaft gallery and comprising i an elongatedy plate adapted to extend substantially throughout the length of said engine for. closing said camshaft-gallery, said'` plate being of arcuate configuration transversely of said plate and of linear confgurationthroughout the lengththereof and having. edgesformed toffit gasket engaging ledges sur-v rounding an opening'in the upper part of said engine and' leading to said camshaft gallery, and means for securing said cover to said engine frame, said means being formed along the middle of said plate and between the opposite ends and edges of said plate and in which said plate comprises two sheet metal members secured to one another around the edges of one of said members and forming a hollow settling chamber between said edges and being formed to provide passages communicating with said settling chamber and extending through each of said members.

9. A camshaft gallery cover comprising a pair of spaced sheet metal members secured to one another along the edges of one of said members lto provide a settling charnber within said cover, an opening formed in the inner one of said members and between the sides and ends thereof, and a baille associated with said inner member and having an opening therein adapted to communicate with said opening in said inner member and having recesses extending within opposite sides thereof and adapted to fit around valve lifter supporting bosses in the camshaft gallery of said engine for controlling the circulation of vaporous substances within the camshaft gallery and crankcase of said engine.

l0. A camshaft gallery cover comprising a pair of sheet metal plates adapted to be spot welded together around the edges of one of said plates and being depressed laterally between said edges to provide a large shallow chamber between said plates, said plates between the sides and edges thereof being depressed toward one another to provide engagement means between said plates and to provide means for spot welding said plates together intermediate the sides and ends thereof, said plates being formed to v provide openings through said engagement means for receiving bolts for securing the sides and ends of said cover to ledges formed in the frame of an internal combustion engine and around an opening leading to the camshaft gallery in the interior of said engine.

1l. A camshaft gallery cover as defined by claim 10 and in which sections taken through said cover are linear in one direction and arcuate in another.

12. An internal combustion engine comprising an engine frame having a camshaft gallery formed therein, said camshaft gallery being formed at one end of said engine by an end Wall of said frame, said end wall being curved inwardly of said camshaft gallery between the opposite ends of said wall and towfdA the opposite end of said frfarfn, and a cover 'f'r *said* camshaft gallery having ya end adaltedffot 's'aid curved end wall of said frame, the enrvatu're'ofl said endwall and said cov'erdeninga ledge having nhe element mounting boss means formed'thereon' at' one end fsaid engine frame and outwardly beyond said end wall'.

1'3".',An internal combustion' engine as defined by claim l'2 'and in which an'op'e'n'ing is formed in said boss means, saidope'ning leading to the interior of said engine andbe-l ing adapted to receive a shaft for driving said element.

114. A'n internal combustion engine comprising an engine frame having? parallel 'rows of obliquely disposed cylinders formed therein and`h`eads for said cylinders, a camshaft gallery f'r'nied in's'aid frame between said rows o'f cylinders' and'said heads,` and a cover for said camshaft gallery', said cover being curved transversely of said engine andlhaving the opposite edges thereof engaging and extending along'theinner side walls of said heads and the ppositeends thereof engaging the upper edges of the end walls idf salid frame whichextend between said rows of cylinders `and said heads and at the ends of said camshaft gallery,y said inner side walls of `said heads and said opposite' edges of said cover being substantially tangent to the' part'of'said cover between said opposite edges, said opposite edges of said cover being adapted to overlap and to tightly engage the outer 'surfaces of said side wallsof heads.

15. An internal combustion engine comprising an engine frame having parallel rows of obliquely disposed 8 cylinders formed therein and heads :forsaid ,cylinders,a, camshaft gallery formed yiin said frame/.between saidrows of'eylinders and said heads, and a cover vforsad camshaft gallery, said cover 'beingde'pressed transversely, of said 'engA gine and having the opposite edges thereof Aengagingand extending upwardly and diverging outwardly along ythe inner side walls of said'heads and the opposite ends there# of engaging the upper edges of the end walls of saidframe which .extend between said rows'of cylinders and ysaid heads and at the ends of said camshaft gallery, said inner. side walls of said heads and sa'z'd opposite edges of said cover being disposed obliquely t0 the intermediate part of said cover between said opposite edges, said opposite edges of said cover being adapted to overlap and to tightlyv engage the outer surfacesl of said inner side walls of said heads. 'i

References Cited inthe le ofthis patent or the original patent UNITED -sTATEs PATENTS 1,293,712 church I l Feb. 11, 1919 1,444,279 short -e Feb. 5,' 1923 ,1,897,783 Y -Anibal Feb. 14,1933 1,916,522 McCuen July 4, 193; v2,073,871 Kliesram Mar. 16,1937` 2,632,340 Dolza et al Mar. 24, 19513 -2,660,987 Doughty Dec. .1,1953

FOREIGN P Ar-ENTS 277,577 Germany Aug. 25, 1914 

